This invention relates generally to a multi-layer moisture management fabric composite, and more specifically, to a moisture management incontinence pad designed for both men and women, and applicable for managing light, moderate and heavy urinary incontinence. The invention is especially useful for controlling multiple instances of leakage.
An estimated 19 million North American adults suffer urinary incontinence with severity ranging from partial to complete loss of bladder control. They may experience varying degrees of urine loss, and the incontinence may change over time. For example, some adults with light incontinence may leak a little when they laugh or cough, while others with heavy incontinence may be experience continuous leakage. No two cases are alike, and no two adults are affected by incontinence the same way.
Incontinence is not an inevitable part of aging, and it is not a disease. In fact, in most cases, it is merely a symptom or side-effect of another medical condition. Male urinary incontinence may be caused by any number of health conditions including prostate surgery, neurologic disease or injury (Parkinson's disease, stroke or spinal cord injury), obstructed urination, and certain birth defects or chronic medical conditions such as diabetes. In many cases, incontinence can be cured and it can always be managed. Many women will experience periods of urinary incontinence caused by childbirth and menopause.
Presently available commercial products address all levels of urinary incontinence. Prior art incontinence pads are generally either relatively inexpensive and disposable, or more expensive and reusable. The present invention focuses on the reusable pad market. Such pads typically include a moisture absorbing component combined with an overlying moisture barrier. The moisture barrier is designed to prevent movement of moisture through the moisture absorbing component and outwardly from the pad. When washing these pads for reuse, it is difficult to fully clean the moisture absorbing component due to the restricted flow of water through the pad caused by the moisture barrier. An even greater problem is the inability to efficiently and effectively dry the pad after washing. Thus, while an advantage of these pads lies in their repeated reusability, the considerable time and inconvenience in laundering generally outweighs the ultimate costs savings. Furthermore, when saturated, existing pads generally trap moisture directly against the skin of the user creating an uncomfortable and unhealthy environment prone to fungus and bacteria growth.